BHUBANESWAR: The Central Election Committee of BJP on Wednesday announced the candidature of former minister Raghunath Monathy for Basta Assembly constituency. The party also named Murali Sharma for Champua, Manas Mohanty for Bhograi and Chhabi Mallick for Niali (SC) Assembly seats. The BJP has completed candidate selection for all the 147 Assembly seats. However, Jagatsingpur is the only Parliamentary seat for which the saffron party is yet to name its candidate.
Mohanty, a former BJD leader and five-time MLA from Basta, joined BJP on Tuesday after sensing that he will not get a party ticket this time. He was denied BJD ticket in 2009 following his arrest in an alleged dowry torture case.Meanwhile, BJD MLA from Morada Praveen Chandra Bhanj Deo has joined BJP after being denied ticket by the ruling party.